Former President of Sierra Leone, Ernest Bai Koroma, who faces charges related to an alleged attempted coup, has left Sierra Leone and arrived in Nigeria, according to sources.
Koroma, who served as president from 2007 to 2018, was granted permission by Sierra Leonean judicial authorities on Wednesday to spend up to three months in Nigeria for medical treatment.
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Sierra Leone’s current president, Julius Maada Bio, referred to the court’s decision as a “humanitarian gesture” in an address to the nation on Thursday evening.
The High Court of Sierra Leone had authorized Koroma to undergo medical treatment in Nigeria, with the condition that his sureties provide regular medical updates.
Koroma has been effectively under house arrest since December 9 and was charged in early January with four offences, including treason, in connection to events in late November.
On November 26, armed attackers stormed a military armoury, two barracks, two prisons, and two police stations, engaging in clashes with security forces.
The authorities deemed the incident a coup attempt by members of the armed forces, resulting in 21 fatalities and the escape of hundreds of prisoners.
At least 80 people, mostly military personnel, were arrested in connection with the clashes.
Koroma’s departure to Nigeria comes amidst heightened political tensions and legal proceedings in Sierra Leone.